Helle v. City & County of San Francisco

Plaintiffs sued for personal injuries and had a verdict for $5,000. The trial court granted defendant’s motion for a new trial on the ground that the evidence was insufficient to support the verdict.

Mrs. Helle was on her way home at about 7:30 p. m. when she slipped and fell while walking down some wooden stairs maintained by the defendant. These stairs were in a dilapidated condition — some boards were loose and some were broken. It had been raining and the stairs were slippery from water and mud. Mrs. Helle had used the stairs almost daily and knew of their dilapidated and dangerous…